A new report suggests that New Zealand’s rapidly changing demographic make-up has reached a critical point.  

Within decades, a quarter of all New Zealanders could be 65 or older – a situation unheard of in our history.  

At the same time, migration patterns are shifting, cities like Auckland are absorbing most growth, and regional decline is accelerating. 

The Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures report argues these trends can no longer be managed as separate issues – we need a national population strategy to link housing, health, infrastructure and economic policy. 

Today on The Front Page, emeritus Professor Paul Spoonley unpacks the data, the risks of inaction, and what a credible strategy would look like for our cities, regions and prosperity. 

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You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee